1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to alphanumeric paging systems.
2. Background of the Invention
Advanced pagers provide two-way communication between a pager and a paging service. When a caller calls a paging service subscriber through the subscriber's pager, the paging service transmits a page to the pager causing the pager to display a menu on a pager display device. The menu indicates a number of choices that the subscriber may select for a response to the page. After a selection is made, the pager transmits a return message to the paging service and the paging service handles the paging call in accordance with the option selected by the subscriber.
The paging system described above requires the paging service to transmit menu information to the pager. Unfortunately, transmitting a menu requires a relatively large amount of bandwidth. Paging services prefer to transmit short messages for pages to conserve bandwidth especially during peak usage periods. However, short messages do not accommodate enough text for menus. Thus, there is a need to support two-way communication paging systems that consume minimal amounts of bandwidth but continue to support convenient menu features.